Blog

Home Alone This Holiday Season?

The classic holiday film Home Alone follows the misadventures of Kevin McCallister, an 8 year old, cheese pizza loving boy whose family unwittingly left him to fend for himself in their beautiful suburban home over the holidays. When the family takes off on a flight to Paris, Kevin is tasked with the unenviable task of overcoming his fears (of his neighbour, his basement and strangers) and ultimately protecting his family home from the Wet Bandits, a duo of thieves casing the neighbourhood. That film is entertaining, funny and heartwarming, and teaches some very important lessons about holiday safety.

Always Have a Backup PlanThe wacky adventures of the McCallister clan begin with one very specific incident: The power is knocked out in their home, and their alarm clocks are all reset. This may not seem like as big of a deal today, where every smart device has built in chimes that can wake you up at any time, but in 1990, technology was very different. Having a power outage would definitely knock out an alarm clock, but some advanced planning could have prevented this. Alarm clocks in 1990 all had options for having backup batteries (likely D batteries) and could have had everyone awake in time to catch their flight with Kevin in tow. Having a backup plan is essential. It’s especially important when you have a major change in routine, such as a big family European vacation.

Never Post Vacation InformationWhile a lot of technology was different in 1990, the basic concept of keeping information private to keep yourself safe stays the same. In Home Alone, Kevin’s father Peter shares his family’s full vacation plans with Wet Bandit Harry, in a cop disguise. If the film were to be remade, odds are that one or several members of the McCallister family would post vacation plans on social media. This would make it easier for many teams of bad guys to case the house and break in. Keeping holiday vacation plans private is an important part of keeping your home safe while you’re away. The more information you share, the more likely that information is going to fall into the wrong hands.

Don’t Rely on Nosy NeighboursKevin has a lot of fears, including his mysterious neighbour, who is rumoured to be a vicious killer. While “Old Man” Marley ends up being a kindly soul and helps Kevin escape when he needs it most, the question has to come up as to how he was not aware of what was happening the entire time the Wet Bandits are breaking into the McCallister home. The same goes for the many other neighbours on the street, who were either not paying attention, were indifferent to Kevin’s plight, or themselves on vacation. Relying on neighbours to keep an eye on your home is putting your security in the hands of amateurs with no experience in how to act in an emergency. It’s also putting an unfair onus on them to keep constant view of your home when it’s simply not possible for them to do so.

Get Peace of Mind with Home SecurityHaving a home security system would have ended Home Alone shortly after the opening credits. A home security system would have had several benefits on the plot. First, having a home alarm system would have prevented the Wet Bandits from wanting to break into the home, as it greatly increases their chances of getting caught. Having a home security system would have also helped Kevin secure all of his doors without having to resort to hot handles or old VHS tapes to keep him covered. In fact, with a full home security system including home automation, Kevin’s mother could feel more secure knowing that her doors are locked. She can watch Kevin through her indoors security camera knowing he is running around the halls of his own volition, and not because he is being chased. And if there is ever an emergency, trained dispatchers will be keeping an eye on their home twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Even if you make your family disappear, you can’t make a good security system go away.

Give one of our security experts a call today at 855 979 9224 and we’ll help keep you safe from holiday capers. And if you quote this blog, we’ll also include a free water detector, to help keep you safe from all the Wet Bandits this holiday!

* Next day installation subject to availability in your area. $99.00 Customer Installation Charge, 36-Month Monitoring Agreement required at $33.99 per month ($1,223,64), Form of payment must be by credit card or electronic charge to your checking or savings account. Offer applies to homeowners only. Local permit fees may be required. Satisfactory credit history required. Certain restrictions may apply. Offer valid for new ADT Authorized Dealer customers only and not on purchases from ADT Security Services, Inc. Other rate plans available. Cannot be combined with any other offer.